Having a full tank is important for many reasons. Not only can it help prevent your car from running out of gas, but it can also make the trip more pleasant and safe.
Happiness is a state of mind that involves positive emotions and life satisfaction. But what does it mean for you?
1. Happiness is a state of mind
Many people think happiness is a feeling, but it’s actually a state of mind. Happiness is a mentality that you can cultivate by making choices to surround yourself with positive people and engaging in activities that bring you joy.
Pleasure is the main determinant of happiness. Getting what you want can make you happy, but it will only last a short time. To sustain happiness, you need meaning.
Happiness is a psychological state and is associated with higher life satisfaction, a sense of meaning in life, and social support. However, in the study, the highest percentage of participants defined happiness as a feeling of well-being rather than an emotional state, and this was true for most countries except Italy and North India. Other subcategories of happiness were identified by fewer respondents, including harmony in South Africa and New Zealand, awareness in Argentina and Croatia, autonomy in Norway, and mastery in South India.
2. Happiness is a feeling
For a feeling as widespread and accessible as happiness, it’s striking that it remains one of the least-studied emotions. Happiness doesn’t lend itself to bumper-sticker cliches or quick-fix solutions, and as a result, it’s more the stuff of greeting cards than hard science.
Happiness is a state of contentment or joy, often triggered by positive life experiences and feelings. It can be experienced in a narrow sense, as a burst of delight in a particular moment, or in a more general way, as an overall feeling of well-being or satisfaction with life.
Happiness can be distinguished from pleasure, but it’s also distinct from a greater sense of meaning and purpose. The two concepts may be mutually exclusive, and chasing happiness by ignoring or denying negative feelings can backfire.
3. Happiness is a feeling of connection
Human connection is a key element of happiness, and people who are happy have high levels of satisfaction with their social relationships. They also report better health and well-being.
This is one of the most common definitions of happiness, and it is consistent with the conceptualizations of happiness that were reported in dictionaries from all countries. The subcategory “high arousal emotions” accounted for the second most common psychological definition of happiness and included feelings of enjoyment, enthusiasm, vitality, pleasure and being merry. This was a common theme among all countries, but some country differences emerged. For example, the Croatians and North Indians were less likely to mention harmony in this subcategory. This may be related to their culturally specific understandings of nature-relatedness.
4. Happiness is a feeling of meaning
Happiness evokes a sense of meaning and purpose in one’s life, bringing deep satisfaction and contentment. It’s an electrifying feeling, a state of well-being that philosophers, theologians and psychologists have long sought to define and understand. A whole branch of psychology, positive psychology, has been dedicated to the study of happiness.
A recent survey of lay definitions of happiness found that people from different nations use a variety of words to describe it, with satisfaction and positive emotions topping the list in most samples. However, a few specific answer subcategories emerged, with participants from Portugal more likely to mention meaning, and those from South Africa, New Zealand and North India more often referring to harmony. The findings indicate that happiness may be influenced by cultural characteristics and values.
5. Happiness is a feeling of purpose
Happiness with purpose is a goal many people strive for. Whether it’s working a prestigious career, becoming an influencer, building your own business or dedicating after-work hours to a volunteer project – these opportunities for meaning can bring happiness and add purpose to life.
However, these are just the traditional trappings of happiness and won’t necessarily make you happy long-term. Rather, it’s more important to cultivate feelings of contentment and engagement.
For example, feeling socially disconnected is one of the fastest routes to depression and anxiety and a sure path toward poor health. Similarly, having a materialistic lifestyle isn’t great for your health or happiness. Instead, minimalism can help you feel a sense of purpose and more satisfaction with your life. This is known as eudaimonia.